New LS400 owner checking in
10-05-09, 08:50 PM
#1
Driver
Thread Starter
New LS400 owner checking in
Hey everybody! I've been lurking for a few months here while looking for a vehicle for my soon-to-be 16-year old daughter. Other options were mainly MB and Volvo as I want her to have something with a bit of steel in it.
So, today I finally took the plunge and bought a Lexus: 94 LS400.
Sure, it has some miles (222K, to be exact), but after lurking here a while and reading info about these things, that kind of mileage is not too much for these. And since the price was right, why not?
It has little things here and there for me to tackle, but mechanically it seems to be in very good shape. Engine is nice and quiet with no blow-by, leaks etc. and the tranny shifts very smoothly. Lexus dealer maintenance records until 181K miles. PS pump and steering rack seem to be in good shape with just a little bit of seepage. So far... Air ride has been converted to normal springs at some point.
Bumpers have some paint peeling, but other than that, the body is in great shape. Interior is pretty dirty (PO has 4 small kids...) but the leather is pretty good. Pretty much everything works inside, too.
A few things I need to tackle are: driver's seatbelt does not retract properly, climate control/clock display is blank (has just the backlight; quite common, I believe), burnt bulbs here and there, give it good outside scrub (it's white and has been sitting outside for a while...), brake pad wear indicator is on etc. etc.
All kinds of fairly minor stuff, I think. Looking forward to working on it and learning more as I go.
So, today I finally took the plunge and bought a Lexus: 94 LS400.
Sure, it has some miles (222K, to be exact), but after lurking here a while and reading info about these things, that kind of mileage is not too much for these. And since the price was right, why not?
It has little things here and there for me to tackle, but mechanically it seems to be in very good shape. Engine is nice and quiet with no blow-by, leaks etc. and the tranny shifts very smoothly. Lexus dealer maintenance records until 181K miles. PS pump and steering rack seem to be in good shape with just a little bit of seepage. So far... Air ride has been converted to normal springs at some point.
Bumpers have some paint peeling, but other than that, the body is in great shape. Interior is pretty dirty (PO has 4 small kids...) but the leather is pretty good. Pretty much everything works inside, too.
A few things I need to tackle are: driver's seatbelt does not retract properly, climate control/clock display is blank (has just the backlight; quite common, I believe), burnt bulbs here and there, give it good outside scrub (it's white and has been sitting outside for a while...), brake pad wear indicator is on etc. etc.
All kinds of fairly minor stuff, I think. Looking forward to working on it and learning more as I go.
Last edited by TexFinn; 10-06-09 at 07:28 PM.
10-05-09, 09:55 PM
#2
I think you have made a wise choice TexFinn & for the appropriate reasons.
I have never heard of a suitable fix for the worn out spring in the seatbelt retract mechanism. Some people have cleaned & lubed which may help. I'm sure that thing gets filled with crap/lint off of clothing over the years.
Several places can tackle your climate control readout issue.
I have never heard of a suitable fix for the worn out spring in the seatbelt retract mechanism. Some people have cleaned & lubed which may help. I'm sure that thing gets filled with crap/lint off of clothing over the years.
Several places can tackle your climate control readout issue.
10-06-09, 07:20 PM
#3
Driver
Thread Starter
Damn... Noticed today that the rear still has the air struts. Oh well... So far, so good. At least the fronts are already converted.
I just hate the air suspension with a passion due to experiences with my wife's old 00 Expedition Eddie Bauer...
I just hate the air suspension with a passion due to experiences with my wife's old 00 Expedition Eddie Bauer...
10-07-09, 08:22 AM
#5
Welcome- nice acquisition for your new driver. Yes, air struts typically leak, especially on Lincoln vehicles. I see them often in and around Houston scraping the concrete and bouncing all over the place.
The 94 is great - gives her a reliable and safe car that could be fixed up with wheels, etc.
The 94 is great - gives her a reliable and safe car that could be fixed up with wheels, etc.
10-07-09, 05:39 PM
#6
Driver
Thread Starter
Yeah, the passenger rear seems to be leaking. Of course... Overnight it hits the ground on that side. Dammit.
Oh well... Even if I do the conversion in the rear and pay the about 500 bucks for the kit from Strutmasters, the car is still pretty cheap. Seems like Arnott only sells a kit that included front and rear. Right? At least I don't see just the rear coil conversion listed separately on their website...
Assuming the conversion is fairly easy/straightforward to do in my garage, of course. The Expedition was extremely easy, but that only involved removing the airbags and installing the coils.
Oh well... Even if I do the conversion in the rear and pay the about 500 bucks for the kit from Strutmasters, the car is still pretty cheap. Seems like Arnott only sells a kit that included front and rear. Right? At least I don't see just the rear coil conversion listed separately on their website...
Assuming the conversion is fairly easy/straightforward to do in my garage, of course. The Expedition was extremely easy, but that only involved removing the airbags and installing the coils.
10-10-09, 03:42 PM
#7
Driver
Thread Starter
Finally a day without rain, so I was able to was and clean the new addition. Cleaned up pretty good, I would say.
The car had sat for several months outside mostly undriven, so the white paint was pretty much black.
Not anymore. 
And the only thing I did was just wash it. Didn't even wax it yet. Bumpers need a bit attention...
Before I was able to clean the inside, I had to remove a full plastic bag of all kinds of crap from the inside.
I just don't get how somebody can treat their vehicle like that. 
Well..., it was a family with 4 small kids, so I guess that happens. 
I didn't do anything to the carpet yet, but the floormats are much better now when I washed them with my pressure washer. The amount of dirt coming out of them was just ridiculous!
Tomorrow I'm continuing the work on the engine bay. That's dirty as hell, too.
Found out, BTW, that the rears have Arnott Industries' airbags and, as I mentioned in my previous post, the passenger side is leaking. I wonder if they will warranty that...?
That would be nice...
A couple of pics. More in the sig.
The car had sat for several months outside mostly undriven, so the white paint was pretty much black.
Not anymore. And the only thing I did was just wash it. Didn't even wax it yet. Bumpers need a bit attention...Before I was able to clean the inside, I had to remove a full plastic bag of all kinds of crap from the inside.
I just don't get how somebody can treat their vehicle like that. Well..., it was a family with 4 small kids, so I guess that happens. I didn't do anything to the carpet yet, but the floormats are much better now when I washed them with my pressure washer. The amount of dirt coming out of them was just ridiculous!
Tomorrow I'm continuing the work on the engine bay. That's dirty as hell, too.
Found out, BTW, that the rears have Arnott Industries' airbags and, as I mentioned in my previous post, the passenger side is leaking. I wonder if they will warranty that...?
That would be nice...A couple of pics. More in the sig.
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